Cartridge belt filling machine



Sept, 6, 1932.

G. F. FRENCH CARTRIDGE BELT FILLING MACHINE Filed April 30, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l dimly;

P 1932- G. F. FRENCH CARTRIDGE BELT FILLING MACHINE Filed April 30, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 a ma Ja M Sept. 6, 1932. G. F. FRENCH 1,876,217

CARTRIDGE BELT FILLING MACHINE Filed April 30. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet s Kw Q Sept. 6, 1932.

G. F. FRENCH CARTRIDGE BELT FILLING MACHINE Filed April 50. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 6, 1932 V UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE I enance rnnnnmcx'rnmicn, or MANCHESTER, ENGLAND canrnrnenrnn'r FILLING MACHINE Applicationfiled April 1931,"Se ria.1 534,083, and in Great Britain May 6, 1930'.

This invention refers" tomachines as used for filling cartridge belts, and in -particular cartridge "belt filling machines of the kind comprising a vertical feed chute, a reciproeating slide below such chute by which suc- I cessive cartridges are pushed into the pockets of the belt, and notched wheels between which the belt passes and by which it isadvancedstep by step with the progressive filling of the pockets. i With such type of machine there? has been no satisfactory means foropening the en,-

. trances of the pocketsprior to forcing the cartridges into same, and as a consequence stoppageshavebeenfrequent; Further,.with

theknown machine the means used ferdelivering cartridges to the feed chuteare unsatisfactory in that they require the cartridges to be carefully arranged in one'direetion, if

they are all to point'in'one directionin the feed chute,otherwise, the cartridges become jambed and thus prevented passing into the feed chute. i i i One of the objects of the invention is to l provide means whereby" the opening of. the

entranceof each pocket of the belt will be rendered more positive and reliable than heretofore; i

Another object is to provide means for opening the pockets, which at the same time allows for any-lag on that edge of the belt awayfronr the edge into which the cartridges enter. i

Anotherf object is to feed" or guide the belt throughthe machine with greater certainty,

and with less likelihood of the belt pockets failing to register with the opening devices than heretofore. i

Another object isto hold the belt firmly in i position while a pocket isbeing opened'and a cartridge being forced therein, and tofhold thebelt with less pressure, but suiiicient to eep it in engagementwith the guides, while 5 the belt is moving forward. i Q i l ,A further object of the inventionis to provide improved means for feeding cartridges to the machine, whereby no matter how the cartridges are placed in the feed hopper, they find their way one by one into the feed chute and to the machineproper with their pointed ends all pointing in the same direction.

A- still further object of the invention is an improved. general arrangement of the said machine. i

According to the invention the machine comprises improved means for opening the pockets of the belt from the end furthest removed from the pusher which forces the cartridges into the belt, and'guiding or leading the nose .end of the cartridges into the pockets after opening same; improved means for compensating for (orallowing of) any lag on one edge ofthe belt; improved means for holding the belt against lateral displacement, while the cartridges are being placed in the belt; improvedmeans for applying a stronger pressure upon thebelt whilst the pockets are being opened and filled, and a less (but sufiicient) pressure While the belt is moving forward, and improved means for delivering the cartridges to a feed chute, the several improvements resulting in a rapid and reliable worln'ng of the machine.

The invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:' Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevation of a cartridge belt filling machine embodying the invention, the usual hand wheel for operating q the machine being shown dotted in order that the mechanism behind such wheel may be more easily seen. i

Fig. :2 illustrates a plan view of the machine.

Fig.- 3' illustrates a longitudinal section of the machine on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. illustrates a cross section taken through-apeeket-of a cartridge belt, and a side view-of the mechanism used for holding open the narrower end of the pocket of the belt and admitting a pilot spindle.

Fig. illustrates an edge view of a cartridge belt and a side View of the belt gripping and feeding mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 illustrates a plan View of a portion.

tail.

Fig. 13 illustrates a plan of a portion of the machine and showing a modification rectifying and feeding the cartridges to the machine. 7 p 1 Fig. 16 illustrates a side view of one halfpart of such mechanism. I

Fig. 17 illustrates a cross section of thecentral fixed block of said mechanism. Fig. 18 illustrates a front View of the inner block and a cross section of the surroundingdrum.' r Fig. 19 illustrates a plan view ofF-ig. 16.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 12, the machine com prises themetal base 1, upon which is rigidly mounted the combined hopper 2 and feed chute 2 down which the cartridges are fed by gravity until they enter one by'onea swivel member 8, and by such member are moved to a position at right angles to the edge of the cartridge belt. -Alongside the said base 1 is the hand wheel 4 by which the machine is worked, the wheel being; mounted upon a 'spindle 5 journaled in a bearing 6 forming part of the base 1, and upon the other end of the spindle is a double'disc cam, with one part 7 of which the forked 'endof a lever 8 engages, the other end of said lever engaging the'lower belt gripping and feeding wheel 9 to rotate same intermittently.

The other part 7* of the cam operatesthrough a link 10, the slide 11, by whichthe cartridges are pushed into the pockets of the belt, a shoulder 11 on the slide effecting the initial insertion of the cartridge and a shoulder 11 etfecting'the final-insertion, see Figs. 2 and 6. 'On the rear face of the wheel,4 is a cam connected to a long slide rod 15, mounted on I V the lugs 16 of a plate 17 fixed to the base 1.

By means of a bracket 18, one end of the rod 15 is connected .to' aspindle 19, hereinafter called the pilot rod. Such rod is slidably mounted in brackets 20 fixed to: a stationary plate 21, whichiat-one end abutsagainst the nachine basal and forms a QQntinuation of the surface over which the cartridge belt I moves in passing through the machine.

Hinged to an upright flange 22 is a lever 23, provided at its lower end with a presser block 24 With serrated underface, and a metal X plate 25 carrying a pivoted tongue 26, see Figs. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 8a. By means of a spring 27 acting on the free end of said lever 23, the presser block 24 is held yieldingly down upon the cartridge belt, the manner of connectingthespring to the lever and to a fixed point, being such as to provide a toggle action to, hold the presser block 24 and plate 25 raised, or lowered, as desired. As

shown in Fig. 5, the presser block 24 may extend over a'considerable length of the belt,

rearward extension 24a one edge of which is flanged upwardly and horizontally at 246, I and to the face presented by such upward flange, as alsofto the front of the platef25, is a further flange' 240 which serves as a guide forthe upper-beaded edge of the belt as the latter passes through the machine.

Below the tongue carrying plate 25 is a further and like plate 28 carrying a further pivoted tongue '29, see Figs. 3 and 4. And below the presserblock 24 is a serrated plate 30, over whch the belt travels and by which plate and the-block 24, the belt is firmly held against lateral and longitudinal movement during the time a cartridge is being forced in one of its pockets.

The upper'feed wheel 9 is carried by a lever bearing 9* so as to be free to turn up to admit a belt between the wheels, and when lowered to engage the belt, the free end of a spring blade 31 secured to the wheel bearing being caughtand' held by a hook A further spring blade 31a, carried by the same support, bears upon the top of the upper tongue-carryingplate, and holdsthe same yieldingly against the belt so long as the feed wheels are-in the belt-engaging position.

The cartridge belt which the improved machine is chiefly designed to fill, is that having corded edges and in which the edge of the belt furthest from the entrance end of a pocket is of Y section, and 'in' which the larger cords are at such edge.

. or as shown inFig. 8, it may be comparatively short. The'presserblook 24 has serrated 'In' proceeding to fill such a belt: with cartri'dges by the improved machine, the belt is placed with its Y edge nextthe tongues 26, 29, and furthest from the swivel member 3,

see Figs. 5 and 6. Withthe belt thus ar ranged the curved ends of the tong ues 26,

.29 project into the V, recess formed by the Y section ofthe 'belt,.and in such position .i

operate in like manner to shoe horns. With 7 the wheel) then rotated, the pilot rod 19 pushes its nose end betweenthe said tongues, and separating them, thereby causes them to initially ropen the 7 pocket. Qdges of the r plates 25 lie alongside the beaded edges of a the belt, and where the tongues 26, 29 require to engage the belt to open a pocket, they are slightly arched to allow of the opening of the pocket. As the tongues operate they p it eventually meets the point of the cartridge presented to it by the swivel member 3, and

pusher 11, whereupon the pilot rod and cartridge move back, the cartridge entering the belt pocket'and being guided thereinto by the pilot rod, until it (the cartridge) reaches a position in the pocket about half. way

through said pocket, see top position in Fig. 6. On the pilot rod moving fully backwards,

.i. (2., clear of the belt, the latter is moved forwardby the wheels 9, 9, for a distance equal to. the pitch of the wider ends of the pockets. The pilot rod is then again moved forward to again engage the tongues 26, 29 and enters the next pocket to engage the next cartridge, after which it again moves back and with it the new cartridge into the belt.

At the same time, the shoulder 11 of the pusher 11 acts upon the previously half-inserted cartridge to force it home in the belt pocket. In this way the cartridges are continuously fed into the belt.

Owing to the cartridge only entering part way into a pocket, the narrower end of the l succeeding pocket lags behind, and to prevent this a compensator may be provided,

such compensator consisting of a bell-cranlr lever 33, which at the freeendof one of its arms lies in the path of the bullet ends of the cartridges projecting from the belt, and which when moved about its centre in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, presses on the said. bullet ends and thereby advances the lagging edge of the belt. Alternatively, in-

i stead of compensating for the lag by the leverf33, the pilot rod 19 may be set at an acute angle, see Fig. 13, which can then enter the narrow end of the belt pocket even it slightly out of line with the centre of the wider end, and still meet the nose end 01" the bullet.

The compensator lever 33, when used, will be operated by a slidebar 34k, below the plate 21, and passing throughthe base 1 where it is provided with a lateralextension 35, carrying a screw 36, the point of which bears againstthe rear end oft-he pusher bar 11.

To prevent the bullet ends of the cartridges falling away from the end of the lever. 33

whenengaged thereby the lever has a small horizontal lip or flange 33 see Fig. 12.

,Thepresserblo'ck 24: is rigidly connected tothelever 23 and the tongue carrylng plate 25- is preferably pivoted to the block, see Fig. 8, so that when the upper part of a cartridge belt pocket is raised by the pivot rod 19, the

plate 25 will yield upwards without leaving tervals to the periphery of the disc to produce parallel slots 39, the bars being of such a length that when the two parts of the drum are assembled around the cylindrical block 38, which is slightly wider than the length of the cartridge, they leavea central annular space or slot lO all round the drum in addition to the slots 39. The bars are of T shape in cross section see'Fig. 16 with the wider part next the periphery of the block 38 and the width of the spaces between the wider parts of the bars is rather more than the diameter of a cartridge, just below its end flange so that when a cartridge is not otherwise supported, it will besuspended by its end flange engaging. the wider parts of the drum bars.

The two parts 37 37 of the drum are rotatably connected together, preferably by means of a tube 41, passing through the cylindrical block 38, the drum parts being clamped as between-themselves and aspacing tube 4-2 to the tube 41 by means of nuts 43. The two parts of the drum and the tube 41 are rotatably mounted upona fixed through spindle 44; ournaled in fixed bearings ll and furnished at one end with a hand wheel 45, and at the 45; l

The cylindrical bloclr38 is held stationary other end with a pulley by a sleeve 46 and plates 47 connected to the feed chute 2 the wcightof the block being carried mainly by the aforesaid drum spindle44.

The lower end of an inclined feed hopper 48 lies near to the upper part of thedrum,

see Fig. 16, so that, on placing a supply of fed 1 An inclined plate 48 and flat spring 48 lie in the outlet throat of the feed hopper 48, the spring ensuring of the fall of the nose end of the cartridge into the ll-shaped gap-38 of the block 38;

A step 38 is formed neartheecentre of iii? a being changed from the vertical to the horir the block 88 on which the nose or bullet end of the cartridge rests whilst its positioni's zontal. And, immediately below the drum is a balanced lever-like plat-e49 on to one end of which the bullet end of each cartridge falls and is momentarily delayed in its descent just before the cartridge is about to enter the feed chute 2", see Figs. 17 and 18.

Ext-ending into the V-shaped gap 88 and supportedby the feed chute is a tapered segmental plate 50, which serves to prevent the cartridge heads leaving the slots 89 until they are ready to enter the feed chute 26, by which time the cartridges are horizontal, with the heads nearest the periphery of the drum as shown dotted in Figs. 17 and 19. Along the lower edge of the segmental plate is a Further, the hinged flap 51, as a cartridge passes down one side of the plate 50, closes the passage on the other side of the plat-e, and thereby prevents any two successive cartridges passing down to the chute simultaneously.

The operations of'the parts are as follows :VThe feed hopper48 being supplied with cartridges, they gravitate into the'nearby slots 89 of the twopart drum facing the open end of the feed hopper, see Fig. 16. The cartridges at this point rest on'the inside cylindrical block 38. The two-part drum is then rotated, whereupon the said cartridges are carried round, and the succeeding cartridgesfall into the succeeding drum slots 39. As the drum continuesto rotate the car tridges come in contact with the flat spring 18 so that when they come over the wider part of the gap 38 in the block 38 their heavier bullet ends move down into the gap 38*,

the cartridges then being suspended by their flanged ends and the drum bars, see Fig. 17 As the drum revolves the nose or bullet ends of the cartridges come in contact with a stop plate 38* fixed near the centre of the block 38, whilst its headis carried around by the cross bars of the drum, the sloping sides of the gap 38 gradually bringing the cartridges one by one into a vertical plane coincident with that of the feed chute, when thecartridges are horizontal, and at which moment they leave the drum and fall into the'feed chute 25, the heavier or bullet end of the a cartridge being counterbalanced and checked as aforesaid, at the moment of leaving the drum by the plate 19 so that the cartridge shall enter the chute with its axis substantially. at right angles to the chute, and thus more readily descend and accumulate, column fashion in the chute. i 7

Owing to the slots in the two-part drum 37 37 b and the plate 50 projecting into the space betweenthe drumbars, the cartridges can be placed anyhow in the feed hopper par allel with the drum, the cartridges righting themselves before they reach the point of delivery. This part of the invention forms a species of rectifier and could be used with other constructions of belt filling machines.

To keep the hopper 4L8 supplied with car tridges an escalator type of conveyor may be used, driven from the wheel 45*, or otherwise.

Where hand feeding only is required, the rectifier neednot be used, the ordinary feed hopper being sufiicient, although necessitating the placing of the cartridges the right way up.

Although preferring to use the tongues 26, 29, it will be understood that the pilot rod 19 only may be used to open the belt pockets, especially in connection with the presser plates, and the corded edges of the belt, which together help to resist any lateral movement of the vbelt under the push of the pilotrod.

Whilst chiefly for use in filling cartridge belts having a Y or V edge, the improved machine maybe adapted for filling cartridge belts without such edge, the tongues 26, 29' then being adapted to engage the pockets of the belt only when opposite a pocket.

The invention may be used with either th ordinary flanged headed type of cartridge or the grooved headed type of cartridge, in the latter case the drum bars being adapted to engage the groove of the cartridge, which would be acted upon to release the cartridge on its passing around the block.

hat I claim is V 1 i 1. A cartridge belt filling'machine comprising a pusher for feeding the cartridges to the belt'pockets and means for opening 'eachpocket at the narrow end prior to the insertion of the cartridge in the opposite end, said means comprising pivoted tongues and a reciprocatory pilot rod for actuating'and cooperating with said tongues. c i

2. Ina cartridge belt filling machine, the provision of a pair of pivoted tongues, one carried by a'fixed support adjacent to the edge of the belt with which it is required to engage and the other carried by a support on a lever and presser, the points of the tongues being adapted to engage the entrances of the narrow ends of the-belt pockets, and a pilot rod adapted to be moved end-wise between the tongues and cause them to act like shoe horns to'open the belt pockets as the pockets come'opposite the rod, as set forth. 8. In a cartridge belt filling machine,and in means for-opening the pockets of the belt to receive thecartridges as claimed in claim 2, apair of pressers, eachhaving a plate along one side which extends along one edge slightarched part to fit across a pocket of the belt,

and said edge of the plate, in conjunction with'the corded edges of the belt, and the pivoted tongues, serving to grip and firmly hold the said edges of the belt, when the pilot rod is forced between the tongues to open the belt pocket, as set forth.

4. In a cartric ge belt filling machine according to claim 1, a presser block carried by a lever, and having a plate bent U-shape to carry a pocket-opening tongue, the plate being pivoted to the block so "as to allow of the plate being free to adapt itself to any upward movements ofthe beltwit-hout leaving I the belt at any point, as set forth.

5. In a cartridge belt filling machine according to claim 1 a pair of feed wheels for gripping and feeding the belt through the machine step by step, a spring blade for holding the wheels in engagement with the belt, and a further spring blade carried by the same support as the first spring blade and by which the upper tongue carrier is held yieldingly against the belt, asset forth.

3 6; A cartridge belt filling machine accordingto claim 1, wherein the pilot rod is slidabiy mounted in bearings and is adapted to enter each belt pocket from the end opposite to that into which a cartridge enters said pocket, and is also adapted to pass completely through the pocket until it meets the nose of the cartridge, its forward end being recessedor cupped to engage the cartridge nose, and the pilot'rod making its return movement simultaneously with the advance of the cartridge, and thereby leading the cartridge into thebelt pocket, the pilot rod leaving thecartridge when the latter has entered about two-thirds of the way into the pocket, and wherein feed wheels advance the belt after the pilot rod has left the pocket and the cartridge is driven fully into the belt pocket by the pusher, simultaneously with the insertion of a cartridge into the next succeeding pocket, as set forth.

'7. In a cartridge belt filling machine according to claim 1, awheel with cam groove, a bowl engaging the groove of the wheels, and

saidbowl carried by a slidingrod which lies to right or left of the axis of the lever, as

set forth.

a '9. In a cartridge belt filling machine accartridges into the belt, means for recipnoeating the. pilot 'ro'd pusher in sympathy with each other, anda compensator actuated by f'theksame, meansto advance that edge of the belt furthest from the pusher, as set forth.

11. In a cartridge belt filling machine, a

compensator in the form of a horizontally disposed bell-crank lever with one arm extending towards the cartridge belt and having a horizontal shoulder, and said lever moved about its pivot by a sliding bar passing through the base of the machine, the bellcrank lever engaging a pin on said bar by the forked extremity of its arm, and said bar being moved in one direction by a spring, and in the opposite direction by a pusher which forces the cartridges into the belt, as set forth.

12. In a cartridge belt filling machine, and in mechanism for automatically arranging the cartridge in the right position for entering the chute, the provision and use of a fixed cylindrical block, with a portion of its periphery cut away to form a V-shaped gap, a two-partrotary drum encircling said block, each part ofthe drum comprising an end disc and bars, the latter being of T-shape, with the wider part nearest the centre of the drum, and saidbars of each part drum producing between them T-shaped grooves, into which a cartridge may fall in, either of two positions, head nearest the end disc, or head furthest from the end disc, and on being carried around by the bars until they come over the said gap in the block, remain horizontal, but

as soon as the gap is reached their nose ends fall into said gap, and with further movements of the drum are caused gradually to assume a horizontal position, the inclined sides of the gap moving the nose end of the cartridge sideways as the drum bars continue to rotate, and the head of the cartridge finally entering the space between the opposite ends of the drum bars, by which time the cartridge is horizontal and ready to fall into the chute, as set forth.

13. In a cartridge belt filling machine, and

between the ends of the drumbarsuntil they are almost horizontal and whereby only one cartridge at a time can pass into the chute, asset forth. r r

14:. A cartridge belt filling machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pilot rod is set at a slight (acute) angle'to its carrier bracket, and thereby adapted to allow of any pocket lag on one edge of the belt, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE FREDERICK FRENCH. 

